Container construction



Oct. 22, 1957 R. G. STALMER 2,810,515

CONTAINER consmucnon w Filed Aug.. 18, 1955 [8 Fig.3 26

/32 l6 E E Regina/d Gray Sta/l ner INVENTOR.

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Reginald Gray Stalmer, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 18, 1955, Serial No. 529,094

2 Claims. (Cl. 23228) This invention generally relates to a containerconstruction and more specifically provides a container which may bemounted upon a vertical supporting surface for the collection of mail orsimilar articles such as suggestions wherein the container may be lockedin position so that the contents thereof cannot be disturbed and may beunlocked for movement to a position to provide access to the contentsthereof by persons having a key to the box thereby protecting thematerial in the box.

An object of the present invention is to provide a containerconstruction including a hingedly mounted receptacle secured to thebottom edge of a mounting plate wherein therear of the receptacle isprovided with a slot for receiving a forwardly projecting aperturedtongue or lug on the upper end of a mounting plate together with a keyoperated latch mechanism engageable with the tongue for selectivelylocking the container in a vertical position along side of thesupporting surface or in a downwardly pivoted position with thecontainer in a generally horizontal position wherein an enlarged openingin the rear thereof permits access to the interior of the receptacle.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in itssimplicity of construction, ease of operation, effectiveness for itsparticular purposes, its adaptation for various utilities and itsrelatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accom panying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of the container construction of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing along section line 22 of Figure 1 illustrating thestructural arrangement thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating furtherstructural details of the container construction; and

Figure 4 is a plan sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the relationshipof the locking hook-shaped member and the slotted or apertured tongue.

With reference to the official drawings, the numeral generallydesignates the container construction of the present invention forattachment to a vertical supporting surface 12 which may be either awall surface or any suitable support.

A generally enlarged rectangular fiat mounting plate 14 is attached tothe supporting surface 12 by supporting screws 16 of any suitable typewherein the screws 16 are so constructed that a generally smooth surfaceis presented to the outer surface of the mounting plate 14.

A receptacle generally designated by the numeral 18 nited StatesPatentlO andincluding a rear wall 20, a front wall 22, a bottom 24, agenerally semi-cylindrical top wall 26, side wall 28 and side wall 30which coact to form an enclosed receptacle.

The rear wall 20 is provided with an enlarged opening 32 to permitaccess into the interior of the receptacle 18 from the rear thereof. Thetop wall 26 adjacentits juncture with the front wall 22 is provided witha slot 34 extending horizontally thereacross for receiving articles suchas mail or other paper articles into the interior of the receptacle 18.The bottom wall 24 is recessed and provided with peripheral dependingflanges 36 wherein a hinge 38 interconnects the bottom edge of themounting plate. 14 and the rear of the flanges 36 and the bottom edge ofthe rear plate 20 thereby pivotally and hingedly connecting thereceptacle 18 to the mounting plate 14 at the lower end thereof. I a

The upper end of the rear wall 20 adjacent its juncture with the topwall 26 is provided with a transversely disposed slot 40 for receiving aprojecting tongue or lug 42 on the upper end of the mounting plate 14which is provided with an aperture 44 extending therethrough with lug 42frictionally gripping slot 40.

Exetending between the side walls 28 and 30 is an elongated rod 46having a laterally projecting hook-shaped member 48 thereon forselectively extending through the aperture 44 in the tongue 42 on themounting plate 14 thereby detachably securing the upper end of thereceptacle 18 adjacent the mounting plate 14. One end of the elongatedrod 46 is rotatably journaled in a bracket 50 on the inner surface ofthe side wall 28 and the other end of the rod 46 is screw threaded asindicated by the numeral 52 for receiving a clamp nut 54 which clampsthe edges of an opening 56 in the side wall 30 wherein a key operateddevice generally designated by the numeral 58 is provided forselectively locking the rod 46 in nonrotating relation and permittingrotation of the rod 46 for selectively locking the hook-shaped extension48 on the rod 46 in the opening 44 in the lug 42 thereby selectivelylocking and unlocking the receptacle 18 in vertical position. A nameplate 60 may be provided on the front wall 22 for indicating the purposeto which the receptacle 18 is to be used. When the hook-shaped lockingmember 48 is unlatched, the receptacle 18 may be pivoted downwardlyuntil the bottom end of the side walls as well as the flange 36 ofthebottom 24 engage the vertical supporting surface 12 wherein access maybe had to the opening 32 for permitting removal of the material from theinterior of the receptacle 18 which has been previously inserted throughthe slot 34.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A container assembly comprising a mounting plate adapted to beattached to a vertical supporting surface, a receptacle having a rearwall being open for a major portion of its area, a front wall, a top, abottom and side walls, means hingedly connecting the bottom of the rearwall to the bottom of said plate, said mounting plate having a forwardlyprojecting apertured lug on the upper end thereof, said rear wall havinga slot for receiving said lug, latch means mounted within saidreceptacle for selectively extending through said aperture in the lugfor V locking and unlocking the rear wall of. the receptacle against themounting plate and permitting downward pivotal movement of thereceptacle for providing access through the enlarged opening to theinterior of the receptacle, said top wall having a slot for insertion ofmaterial in the receptacle, said-latch means including an elongated rodpivotally mounted between theside walls, said rod having a laterallyextending hook-shaped member for selective insertion through theaperture'in the lug upon rotation of the rod, and keyoperated lock meansextending longitudinally of said rod outwardly of one of said side wallsfor permitting rotation of said rod.

.2. A container assembly comprising a mounting plate adapted to beattached to a support, areceptacle having a bottom, side walls, topwall, front wall, and rear wall, said receptacle having a slot thereinfor permitting insertion of material into the receptacleQsaid rear wallhaving an open area constituting a majorportion thereof, the rear loweredge of said receptacle being hingedly mounting plate having a forwardlyprojecting lug on the upper end thereof, said lug having an apertureextending therethrough, said rear wall having a slot for permittingpassage of the lug through the wall, a transverse rod rotatably mountedon said receptacle in adjacent relation to the rear wall, a laterallyextending hookshaped member on said rod for extending through theaperture in the lug upon rotation of the rod when the lug is projectingthrough the slot in the rear wall, the rotation of the rod forwithdrawing the hook-shaped member from the aperture in thelug'permitting downward pivotal movement of the receptacle for accessinto the interior thereof through the Open area in the rear connected tosaid mounting plate, said mounting plate having an area at least equalto the open area in the rear wall for closing the open area in the rearwall when the rearwall is disposed adjacent themounting plate, saidwall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 202,578,693 Gieseler Dec. 18. 1951

